Chapter 409 : Hand It Over
Another force made their entrance, and it was a powerful one—just one person, whose intervention immediately suppressed the black-clad attacker's strike. Afterward, the two sides faced each other like mortal enemies and immediately engaged in combat.
The young man in rich attire, having escaped death, let out a long sigh of relief, and his pale face finally regained some color.
The family guards who had been left behind by the young man finally caught up. Seeing the situation's sudden shift, with the black-clad leader entangled in combat, they were about to engage the remaining black-clad figures. However, before the Spirit Division cultivator could make a move, he was hastily grabbed by the young man who urgently approached, whispering: "Let's go, let's go. Let them fight. Who knows if this is actually someone with good intentions."
In the cultivation world, self-preservation was the way to survive. Even facing a stranger's goodwill, one should maintain a degree of vigilance. Moreover, this person had appeared suddenly and, although they had blocked an attack for him, who knew if they too harbored intentions to seize the treasure?
With lingering fear, the group hesitated for less than a second before deciding to flee, abandoning both combatants.
Reality proved that the cultivation world indeed lacked righteous heroes who enjoyed meddling in others' affairs. As soon as the young man's group showed signs of escape, the two high-level experts, previously locked in an evenly matched battle, simultaneously turned and launched attacks toward the young man's direction.
"Third Young Master, be careful!" The young man heard only this warning before witnessing two attacks strike their strongest Spirit Division cultivator. The latter's eyes widened, unable to even groan before spitting blood and perishing instantly. Even his Nascent Soul couldn't escape, likely annihilated within his dantian.
The young man was immediately stunned by this development, his mouth open but unable to make a sound, frozen in place like a stone statue. Cold sweat broke out on his back in waves, nearly soaking his ceremonial robe.
After launching that attack, the two distant figures resumed their battle, but the young man's group, having been intimidated by this killing, no longer dared to move.
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Jiang Mo lowered her hand that had just been raised and continued to hide at a distance, secretly observing.
As she watched, her brows suddenly furrowed, noticing something amiss. She immediately transmitted her voice to ask: "Ah Yue, don't these two people's cultivation techniques look somewhat familiar?" One was bold and expansive, the other permeated with yin energy.
Yun Qingyue, having cultivated for many years, was far more sensitive to cultivation techniques than Jiang Mo, and immediately replied: "They're the techniques of the Nine Abyss Sect and Crimson Blood Sect."
Hearing this, Jiang Mo wasn't surprised, but her gaze swept over the black-clad figure, her heart filled with amazement—if this person practiced Nine Abyss Sect techniques, why didn't they have that signature skull face of the Nine Abyss Sect? Could it be that, like the Nine Abyss Sect Leader, this person also cared about appearances and specifically diverted spiritual energy to maintain their appearance?
However, her surprise about the other's appearance was only momentary. Jiang Mo quickly identified the key point: "But aren't the Nine Abyss Sect and Crimson Blood Sect currently at war? The battlefield isn't nearby, so why haven't they recalled their disciples, allowing these two to meet by chance?"
As soon as she asked, Jiang Mo internally rejected her own question—this encounter didn't seem coincidental at all; both appeared to be after the Spirit Nourishing Pill.
What Jiang Mo had thought of, Yun Qingyue had also considered. The two exchanged a glance, simultaneously forming the same conjecture: Cloud Stream City and the auction house's attitude had been off from the beginning—first shifting trouble elsewhere, then playing dead, clearly knowing some inside information. Considering the current situation, either the Nine Abyss Sect or the Crimson Blood Sect urgently needed the Spirit Nourishing Pill, and Cloud Stream City, having received early information, had tossed out this hot potato.
As for who truly needed the Spirit Nourishing Pill and who was trying to obstruct their opponent, Jiang Mo and Yun Qingyue couldn't discern for the moment. However, due to their hostility toward the Nine Abyss Sect, plus their relationship with Sect Leader Zhu, the two naturally leaned toward the Crimson Blood Sect.
Seeing the deadlocked situation, Jiang Mo asked Yun Qingyue: "Ah Yue, should we go help?"
Yun Qingyue immediately spread her wings and moved forward: "Let's go, and ask what's happening while we're at it."
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Perhaps because she was usually held in Jiang Mo's arms or perched on her shoulder, the Swan Goose had maintained a moderate size, becoming even smaller as a lark, only palm-sized. It wasn't until now, when she was about to engage in combat and transformed back to her original form, that Jiang Mo suddenly realized she had grown to the size of the immortal cranes in the Xuanqing Sect.
Before Jiang Mo could marvel at her Senior Sister's size, she saw her charge forward, taking the lead and spitting out a mouthful of Ice Flame toward the two battling figures from a considerable distance.
The Ice Flame was originally a heavenly anomalous fire, first transformed by the Ice Soul Condensation Pearl, then baptized by the atavistic heavenly lightning, and finally merged with phoenix true fire—its power could be described as terrifying... Even from a considerable distance, the two combatants sensed extreme danger, both withdrawing and retreating, narrowly avoiding the Ice Flame attack.
This move by Yun Qingyue was originally intended to separate the two. Seeing her strike succeed, with a thought, the sweeping Ice Flame suddenly transformed as if alive. The ice-blue flames coalesced into a phoenix which, accompanied by a cry, charged toward the Nine Abyss Sect members.
The Crimson Blood Sect person was startled, then blurted out: "Young Sect Leader?!"
Yun Qingyue hadn't expected to be recognized like this, and immediately said: "I'm not. Don't call me that."
From the beginning, she had never intended to be associated with the Crimson Blood Sect, even though, through their interactions, the misgivings in her heart toward Zhu Baiyi had gradually diminished. She could acknowledge her as her birth mother, but the Crimson Blood Sect was, after all, of the demonic path, with demonic cultivators who had each killed countless people. Born of the righteous path, even if she no longer identified as a disciple of the Xuanqing Sect, she did not wish to align with such a demonic sect.
Seemingly hearing some disdain in her tone, the Crimson Blood Sect person hesitated again, but didn't dwell on this issue. He immediately revealed his purpose: "Young Sect Leader, Sect Leader was ambushed by the Nine Abyss Sect and urgently needs the Spirit Nourishing Pill to heal her wounds."
Hearing this, Yun Qingyue wasn't particularly surprised, inwardly confirming her suspicions, but her attacks became three times heavier.
In just these few moments of conversation, the lower-cultivating members of the Nine Abyss Sect had already been caught by the Ice Flame. The ice-blue phoenix couldn't be touched from head to tail; even a tiny spark landing on one's body could instantly develop into a sweeping force—the ice-blue flames enveloped the enemy, bringing both bone-chilling cold and terrifying burns. In an instant the flames flared and extinguished, leaving not even ashes of those engulfed.
Jiang Mo, arriving a half-step slower, saw this scene and paused, keenly sensing that her Senior Sister might be angry. So she didn't rush to join the Swan Goose but turned to attack the Nine Abyss Sect people as well.
It's worth noting that Jiang Mo and Yun Qingyue's cultivation actually surpassed everyone present—the Nine Abyss Sect and Crimson Blood Sect were still at war, with their top forces engaged on the battlefield. Therefore, even for such an urgent matter as finding medicine for the sect leader, only an elder who had just entered the Fusion realm was dispatched. This cultivation level was certainly not low, and his combat power was formidable, but within the Crimson Blood Sect, he wasn't a particularly prominent figure.
The Nine Abyss Sect's situation was similar. Both sects had sent people to come discreetly, but they happened to encounter Jiang Mo and Yun Qingyue. The Swan Goose hadn't fully recovered her strength, but the Nine Abyss Sect elder could barely handle her. Add to that a White Tiger at the Fusion realm, and the outcome was predictable.
In less than half a quarter hour, the Nine Abyss Sect elder was captured alive by Jiang Mo and pinned under her foot.
The Crimson Blood Sect elder was overjoyed, perhaps too excited about unexpectedly meeting the young sect leader, forgetting to seize the Spirit Nourishing Pill immediately. He exclaimed, "Excellent!" and looked at Jiang Mo with blazing eyes: "Your combat prowess is extraordinary. Would you be interested in joining our Crimson Blood Sect?"
Jiang Mo was stunned, completely unprepared to receive a sect invitation at this moment, and instinctively looked toward Yun Qingyue.
The Crimson Blood Sect elder immediately noticed this, his gaze moving back and forth between them. At first, it was inquiring, but later, who knows what he thought of, his smile became pregnant with meaning.
His smile made Jiang Mo's heart crawl, and Yun Qingyue wasn't faring much better. She immediately reminded him: "The enemy has been captured. Don't forget your purpose in coming here."
The Crimson Blood Sect elder finally came to his senses. The carefree smile on his face vanished, and his entire demeanor changed instantly. The murderous aura emanating from him was enough to make one's blood run cold. Then, carrying this murderous aura, he walked toward the young man in rich attire, who, after the Spirit Division cultivator among his guards was killed, no longer dared to flee and was trembling, clutching his storage ring.
Now, seeing such a fearsome person approach, he asked with a quavering voice: "What, what are you going to do?"
Hearing this, the Crimson Blood Sect elder widened his eyes and gave him a strange look, almost writing on his face: I've made my intentions so obvious, how can you not know what I'm going to do?!
The young man trembled, either genuinely foolish or pretending to be, and remained silent.
The Crimson Blood Sect elder didn't have such good temper or patience for outsiders. Seeing him not speak, he simply extended his hand in front of the other: "Stop playing dumb and hand over the Spirit Nourishing Pill!"
The young man was indeed pretending to be foolish. If he had been willing to hand over the Spirit Nourishing Pill, he would have done so long ago. Why would he have been chased like a dog for so far, causing his family to lose a late-stage Spirit Division expert? But faced with such forceful robbery, he was also very clear that he could do nothing, only holding onto his final stubbornness as he said: "This medicine, this medicine I cannot give up..."
Before he could finish, his hand was suddenly empty—his storage ring had been snatched away: "Hand it over."